Base for air sealed vaults



Jan. 30, 1940.V F. BlszANTz BASE FOR AIR SEALED VAULTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [NVE/vrom FMD B/szA/VTZ Filed Aug.

F. BlszANTz i 2,188,524A

-'BASE FOR AIR SEALED VAULTS Filed Aug. 24, 19523 2 sheets-sheet 2 l .E NVENTOR FRED B/szfi/VTZ Y Patented Jan. 30, 1940 PATENT OFFICE BASE Foa Aia SEALED vAUL'rs Fred Biszantz, Galion,

Ohio, assignor to The Galion Metallic Vault Company, Galion, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application August 24, 1938, Serial No. 226,513

11 Claims.

My invention relates to a base for air sealed vaults.

It is the object of this invention to provide a vault so sealed as to insure a dry casket within the vault.

Heretofore bases for air sealed vaults have been made with the center portion raised slightly with a flange around the bottom edge. This raised center portion extends upwardly inside the vault dome and is made in this way so as to support the casket sufficiently above the lower edge of the vault dome to insure against water rising to the casket. `The resistance to water rising higher in the vault dome is due to the trapped air within the dome. After burial, the vault has to support several tons of earth. If one end of the bottom of the grave is of softer earth than the other, then the vault is liable to settle lower at that end.

In the prior art, all bases of conventional type have been made with a large part of the vault base raised and not in contact with the earth.

It is the object of this invention to use a at sheet of steel for the bottom of the base which makes contact with all the ground beneath it. This is true with the possible exception of a very few small holes and stiiening ribs in the sheet. The result is that the vault will stay level longer and more surely than any other. At the same time, it can be more easily handled by truckers and more safely shipped without damage in car lots.

It is a further object to provide reinforcing means of bridge-like construction between this bottom and the casket supporting base portion. In this manner, there is a rigid truss-like construction consisting of upper and lower plates with inverted V-shaped beams arranged transversely of the base.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective of the complete vault looking upwardly beneath it.

Figure 2 is a section through the vault taken longitudinally on the line 2--2 of Figure 5 showing the position of the vault with respect to the surrounding earth.

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line `3 3 of Figure 5.

Figure 4 is a top plan View of the vault base with the casket supporting cap removed.

Figure 5 is a similar view with the cap in position, partially broken away.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6 6, looking in the direction of the arrows, of Figure 4, showing a part of the bottom plate and one of its re- A inforcing ribs.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I designates a continuous flat sheet of steel known as the bottom plate Which is provided with diagonal reinforcing ribs 2. The bottom plate I is provided with a marginal ange 3, within which ange rests the base ilange d of the raised supporting cap plate 5 which has upwardly inclined side walls S. This cap plate is provided with transverse reinforcing, casket supporting ribs 'I, the under side of which engages the inverted V- shaped transversely arranged reinforcing members 8. The top 9 of these members engages the under side of the rib l. The bottom feet I of the reinforcing members 8 engage the upper surface of the bottom plate I.

The casket cover, or dome, designated II, has its lower marginal edge I2 engaging the upper edge of the vault plate flange 3. The dome is locked to the base plate Iby the overlapping locking fingers I3 which are slidably mounted Within guide chambers I4. These locking fingers are spring pressed outwardly by the springs I5, carried upon the rod I6 and located between thel rear surface of the locking iingers I3 and the interior of the guide casing I4.

The ends of the rod I6 are formed in eyes II to connect them with the pitman I8, which is mounted upon the crank I9, which is pivoted at A2li upon the bottom plate I. This crank is pivoted with a handle 2| which operates within a cut away portion 22 of the llange 3 of the bot-v tom plate I. This serves to control the locking and unlocking of the dome to the base. 'I'he base is provided with holes 23 which are relatively small in area compared to the area of the plate I. 'Ihe vault base cap 5 is provided with handles 24 on the ends and sides for facilitating its location and placing upon the base I.

It vwill thus be seen that the cap can be made of a lighter gage of metal to save Weight and expense. It is mainly used for improving the appearance of the base. After all of the parts are assembled and welded to the base I, the cap 5 is then placed in position.

It will be noted that the locking ngers I3 project through the side wall 6 of the cap 5, overlapping the ilange d and also the flange IIa of the vault cover. This flange rests upon the flange 3 of the bottom plate. Thus the locking means, preferably attached to the bottom plate, serves to lock the entire structure together.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a vault base, the combination of a at base sheet extending across the vault and a casket supporting cap comprising a flat sheet thereabove in parallel relationship thereto, and means between said base sheet and said flat sheet for supporting said flat sheet in spaced parallel relationship to said bottom plate.

2. In a vault base, the combination of a flat base sheet extending across the vault and a casket supporting cap comprising a iiat sheet, and means between said base sheet and said iiat sheet for supporting said flat sheet in spaced parallel relationship to said base sheet comprising interposed inverted V-shaped ribs mounted on said base sheet and engaging the underside of said flat sheet.

3. In combination, in a vault base, a bottom .plate extending across the vault, inverted V- shaped supporting members arranged at intervals transversely thereof and a casket supporting cap having its margins engaging the upper surface of said bottom plate and its undersides engaged by said inverted V-shaped supporting members, said casket supporting cap being ported by said bottom plate at its margins and by said supporting members intermediate said margins.

4. In combination, in a vault base, a bottom plate extending across the vault, inverted V- shaped supporting members arranged at intervals transversely thereof and a casket supporting cap having its margins engaging the upper surface of said bottom plate and its under sides engaged by said inverted V-shaped supporting members, said casket supporting cap being supported by said bottom plate at its marginal engagement therewith, and ribs struck up in said casket supporting cap over the point of engagement of the V-shaped supporting members therewith, said ribs being supported by and receiving the upper portions of said V-shaped supporting members.

5. In a vault base, in combination, a iiat base sheet extending across the vault, a casket supporting cap thereabove comprising a flat sheet parallel to the base sheet extending substantially completely across said base sheet, and means arranged at intervals on said base sheet and extending upwardly therefrom into supporting relationship with said flat sheet.

6. In a vault base, in combination, a flat base sheet extending across the vault, a casket supporting cap thereabove comprising a at sheet parallel to the base sheet extending substantially completely across said base sheet and downwardly extending marginal walls resting upon the marginal portions of said base sheet, and means arranged at intervals on said base sheet and extending upwardly therefrom into supporting relationship with said flat sheet, between said marginal walls whereby to reinforce the load supporting effect of the marginal walls and thereby distribute the weight of a coin supported on the base for partial support intermediate such walls.

'7. In a vault construction comprising a base plate, a vault supporting plate having a portion thereof resting upon said base plate, and attached thereto and providing an air space between said base plate and said supporting plate,

said base plate having a reinforcing means mounted thereon and in contact with said vault supporting plate and extending across said air space between said plates, thereby transmitting at least a portion of the weight of the casket carried on said supporting plate to said base plate, whereby the Weight of the casket and vault carried thereby is distributed over a substantial ground-engaging area.

8. A vault base construction comprising a base plate, a vault supporting plate having a portion thereof resting upon said base plate and permanently attached thereto and providing an air space between said base plate and said supporting plate, said supporting plate having at least one reinforcing rib therein, and a reinforcing member attached to said base plate and contacting said rib, thereby transmitting at least a portion of the weight of the casket carried on said supporting plate to said base plate, whereby the weightof the casket and vault carried thereby is distributed over a substantial ground-engaging area.

9. A vault base construction comprising a base plate, a vault supporting plate having a portion thereof resting upon said base plate and permanently attached thereto, and another portion spaced from said base plate and providing an air space between the same and said supporting plate, said supporting plate having at least one reinforcing rib therein, said rib having an upper convex portion forming a support for a casket, and an under concave portion, and a reinforcing member attached to said base plate and contacting the concave portion of said rib, thereby transmitting at .least a portion of the weight or the casket carried on said supporting plate to said base plate, whereby the weight of the casket and vault carried thereby is distributed over a substantial ground-engaging area.

10. A vault base construction comprising a base plate, a vault supporting plate having a portion thereof resting upon said base plate and permanently attached thereto, and another portion spaced from said base plate to form an air charnber between said base plate and said supporting plate, said sup-porting plate having at least one reinforcing rib therein, and a reinforcing member attached to said base plate and contacting said rib, thereby transmitting at .least a portion of the weight of the casket carried on said supporting plate to said base plate, whereby the weight of the casket and vault carried thereby is distributed over a substantial ground-engaging area.

11. A vault base construction comprising a base plate, a vault supporting plate having a portion thereof resting upon said base plate and permanently attached thereto and providing an air space between said base plate and said supporting plate, said supporting plate having at least one reinforcing rib therein, and a reinforcing member attached to said base plate and contacting said rib, thereby transmitting at least a portion of the weight of the casket carried on i said supporting plate to said base plate, whereby the weight of the casket and vault carried thereby is distributed over a substantial ground-engaging area, said base plate having at least one aperture therein communicating with the space between the base plate and the supporting plate.

FRED BISZANTZ. 

